What does the world look like, through the lens of a young person? We’re not speaking metaphorically…we mean through an actual lens. Like, in a camera.

Museum Quality Framing would like to show you – which is why it’s one of the sponsors of the Washington State High School Photography Competition, now in its third decade.

Angela Wicks, event director at Museum Quality Framing said, “Museum Quality Framing believes strongly in the arts and believes even more strongly in the full support of arts at the student level. It’s our pleasure to connect the student arts to the South Lake Union and Seattle community."

Beginnings
In the 1980s, a bunch of high school photography teachers aiming to kickstart some inspiration among their students put together a small, grassrootsy contest. Any student in grades 9-12 from a Washington state public, private or alternative high school could enter. They garnered a few hundred entries in the early years.

But by the 1990s, the Seattle Art Museum exhibited their show, the Seattle Times and Evening Magazine came calling, and a fancy-pants awards show had evolved, attended by the likes of Governor Mike Lowry and Gary Locke. By 2007, kids and teachers were beating down the doors from 61 schools across the state. In 2011, the competition received more than 4,000 entries.

Fame. Prizes. Glory.
So what do the kids get out of it?

Museum Quality Framing professionally mats all 39 finalists’ images and hosts the awards ceremony. Other sponsors provide cameras, cash, tuition. And how’s this for cool? The Jones Soda Company reproduces six student images on 100,000 of their soda bottles.

Corky Trewin, official photographer from the Seattle Seahawks and Sounders FC, helps judge the photos and lets winners join him at a real sports shoot. (Not too shabby for the old resume).

Emily Ryder, Monroe High School student and former contest winner said, "At Qwest Field Corky let me use one of his Canon cameras and a huge zoom lens. I job-shadowed him for an entire game and took 1,600 photos. He was very kind. Corky also photographed me with a couple of the players and I got some TV time! It was a spectacular experience and one I will always remember.”

By Land or by Sea
This year the exhibition theme was focused on anything related to land or water, wide open to interpretation. And interpret these kids did, with skill, precision and pure, careening imagination.

So come see the spectacular student images at Museum Quality Framing - it just may make you see things from a different perspective yourself.

Finalists Exhibition – on display June 1-30
Award ceremony/reception – June 2, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Museum Quality Framing - South Lake Union
428 Westlake Ave North, Seattle

Learn more about the Northwest High School Photography Contest here.

Photo credits
Eggs: Photo by Colin Chupik, Bainbridge High School
Girl with Antlers: Photo by Aila Weigelt, Bainbridge High School
Circus: Photo by Brennen Bailey, John R. Rogers High School
Lamp: Photo by Sarah Baillargeon, Bothell High School

Posted by DiscoverSLU on May. 24
Feature Post Archive